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Bank of England governor Mark Carney made headlines last week saying the 0.5% base rate - static for 6+ years - could rise in winter. It won't definitely happen but means mortgage rates, some of which are currently at all-time lows, could jump (they often do earlier than the base rate).

You can fix for two years at 1.05% (£1,995 fee) if you've a 40% deposit and a good credit history - a huge saving against standard variable rates. So urgently check if you can save - some inspiration:

Check your current deal. A mortgage is the biggest expenditure most people have, so I'm always slightly surprised that when asked, not everyone knows their rate and details. So check now that you know...

a. The current rate: And monthly repayment & amount outstanding.b. Type: Is it a fix, tracker, discount or SVR?c. Deal deadline: If it's a short-term deal (eg, 2yr fix), when does it end?d. Term: How long it is, eg, 25yrs, and when it must be fully repaid by. e. Penalties: Are there any early repayment or exit penalties?f. Your loan-to-value (LTV): The proportion of your home's current value you are borrowing. Eg, £80,000 on a £100,000 property is an 80% LTV. The lower the LTV, the better deal you can get. So if your home has increased in value you may gain. See LTV help for full info.

Everyone should check, but not everyone can save by remortgaging (shifting to a better deal). To see how to use this info get my FREE 60-page MSE Remortgage Booklet 2015 (either instant PDF or order a printed copy).

(i) Fee spread across the deal period plus the repayments, assuming 25yr term

3.

Fees can be £1,000s - our special tool factors them in. The smaller your mortgage, the bigger the impact fees have, especially for mortgages under £100,000. This can skew which is cheapest for you.

To assess, spread the cost of fees over the fixed or tracker period (as after you may shift again to another deal). To help, use the MSE Mortgage Total Cost Comparison within our best buys comparison, which factors in both fee and rate to find your true cheapest.

4.

How much can you save? Now you know your rate and what's out there. Our mortgage calculators allow you to work out the potential savings...

Can you actually get a cheaper mortgage? I support the now 15-month-old 'affordability checks' those getting new borrowing or extending debt must have. Yet perversely, most lenders need to apply these rules to those trying to switch deal. It ludicrously results in many being told "you can't afford to get a cheaper rate", and it could get worse. See EU remortgage rules could create mortgage prisoners - an MSE campaign priority.

Lenders check you can afford your mortgage if rates hit 6-7%. They also want evidence of income, big bills and expenses, even eating out. Be careful before applying - see affordability help. If you're stuck, there are options. Your current lender and a few small building societies can waive some of the really heavy checks for switchers (you still need to prove income).

6.

Should I get a fix or tracker/discount? With a fixed mortgage, the amount you repay is, er, fixed so it's like buying an insurance policy against possible rate rises. Variable deals move with UK interest rates (sometimes just at the provider's whim). Currently you only pay a touch more to fix.

It's difficult to predict future interest rate moves, so focus on your finances - the more crucial the security of knowing exactly what you'll pay, the more you should edge towards fixing (& fixing longer). If cracking the rock-bottom deal's your driver, edge to short-term trackers. Fix vs Variable help.

Mortgage brokers can help boost acceptance. You can, and often should, use a broker to help you find the right deal. They've info unavailable to consumers, eg, lenders' credit and affordability criteria. So a good broker can ease acceptance by matching you to the right deal - and the mortgage interview's quicker too. See Top Mortgage Brokers for full info.

9.

Yet brokers miss some mortgages... Some lenders, incl Yorkshire BS, Tesco and HSBC, largely sell only direct to the public, cutting brokers out. So brokers are allowed to exclude them, and some (not all) do - hence why using a broker in conjunction with our mortgage comparison, which includes all these deals, is the right route.

10.

Got savings? They could get you a better mortgage. At every 5% LTV threshold from 95% down to 60%, deals tend to get better, so a little extra can have a big impact on your mortgage rate. For example...

Imagine you've a £150,000 home, and want a £122,000 remortgage. That's an 81% LTV, and the top 5yr fix is 3.09%. If you use £2,000 of savings to reduce the amount needed, you'd cross a threshold and be at 80%, where the top 5yr fix is 2.6%. This would save almost £500/year in mortgage payments alone.

FREE remortgage, first-timers' & buy-to-let 2015 booklets. Mortgages are a big transaction, and the best thing to do is to make sure you really know what you're doing. To help we've three free 40+ page printed guides.

Don't fall for the hard sell on mortgage extras. Lenders & brokers may try to flog their Mortgage Life Ins, Home Insurance or Mortgage PPI. These can be expensive so use the links above to check what you need and how to get them cheapest. Also check if you're in the right Council Tax band.

PS from Martin. I’m away from MSE Towers for the first few days this week, so after doing a draft of the email, the polish and details are in the more-than-capable hands of the MSE team.

Savings rates are dismal. Banks don't need our cash as they get it from the Funding for Lending Scheme, so they don't pay rates that attract it. Even the very top easy-access savings account from BM Savings only pays 1.6% AER variable and most people earn less than 1%. So if you really want to make your cash work for you, you have to get clever...

New. 2.4% tax-free cash ISA with access. A cash ISA is just a savings account where you don't pay tax on the interest. You can put £15,240 in per tax year and it stays tax-free every year. Easy access accounts let you withdraw cash whenever you want - the top payer's Virgin Money at 1.51% (max 3 withdrawals/yr) - but we've a trick to beat it:

The new Coventry BS ISA is fixed till May 2020 (for new money & transfers) and pays 2.4%. Yet it allows you to withdraw the cash early by closing the account, and losing 120 days' interest. Even if you'd closed it after a year you'd have got 1.61%, better than the top easy-access deal. You'd get more by leaving it longer. Full info: Top Cash ISAs.

Make your bank account pay you up to 5%. A raft of accounts pay higher in-credit interest than top savings. These loss-leaders aim to suck people into switching, but there's no reason not to take advantage:

- For bigger savers,Santander 123* pays 3% AER variable on £3,000 to £20,000. Other banks pay higher rates, but as you can save more in it, Santander can pay up to £592/yr interest (pre-tax). It has a £2/mth fee, but for most that's easily covered as it pays cashback on direct debits, eg, 3% on mobiles, 2% energy & 1% water.- For smaller sums,TSB Classic Plus* pays 5% AER (4% after basic tax, 3% higher) on up to £2,000, plus get £100 if you switch via our link. Full info incl eligibility criteria and more top payers in Best Bank Accounts.

Earn 6% if you save every month. New customers to no.1 cust service bank First Direct* get £100 to switch (if they pay in a min £1,000/mth - equiv £13,200/yr salary), and all customers get access to a linked 6% fixed-rate regular saver where you can save £25-£300/mth for a year. M&S is similar (it gives new M&S Bank Account* switchers a £100 M&S gift card). If you don't want to switch current account, anyone can save £50-£250/mth in Leeds BS's 3.05%. Full info in Top Regular Savings.

British Gas has announced it's cutting gas ONLY prices by 5%ish from 27 Aug, shaving £35/yr off avg bills. All cuts are welcome, but the saving is trivial compared to the market's cheapest. There are no cheap British Gas tariffs so compare & switch NOW & you should be on a cheaper deal before its cut hits in a month. Here's watt (sorry) you need to know...

ARE YOU OVERPAYING?(all figures based on typical usage)

Pay by monthly direct debit (dual fuel)

Avg big 6 standard tariff now70% are on these

£1,155/yr

BG standard after Aug cut

£1,123/yr

Cheapest variable deal

£870/yr

Cheapest switchers' 1yr fix

£885/yr

Prepayment meters (dual fuel)

Avg big 6 standard tariff now

£1,234/yr

BG standard after Aug cut

£1,193/yr

Cheapest switchers' deal

£1,168/yr

The real price war is for switchers - save £250/yr. For months there's been a hidden price war, where those switching get deals that massively undercut standard rates. These cheap rates usually only last a year-ish, so it's not only switching, but switching often enough, that pays. To help, we built www.CheapEnergyClub.com. It does three things:

1) A full market comparison to find your cheapest. Your winner depends on where you live & your usage. So enter this to compare. Unlike some sites, we don't exclude tariffs that 'don't pay us'. Plus, our top picks section shows the pros & cons of some of the tariffs you may miss.

2) When we get paid we split it with you. Suppliers pay comparison sites c.£60 per dual fuel switch (£30 single), if they switch you (the price is still the same as going direct). We split this, so you get £30 cashback (£15 single fuel). The rest pays our data & switch suppliers, leaving us with hopefully £11ish to pay the team that work on this, and hopefully some profit.

3) We then do a hidden monthly comparison for you. We keep your details and then compare each month. When you can again save over a certain amount, eg, £70/yr (you set it) we email you when it's time to switch.

Loyal to British Gas? At least switch to Sainsbury's. Sainsbury's Energy is just British Gas with a different badge on top. On typical use the Sainsbury's Energy fix is £930/yr (£904/yr from 8am Wed) - over £200/yr cheaper than British Gas's standard tariff.

Five gas & electricity need-to-knows.Full help & options in Cheap Gas & Elec, but in brief:

1) A fix locks in the rate you pay per unit, but if you use more, the amount you pay can still rise. 2) Currently this 'collective' fix* is the market's cheapest fix on pure price, & comparison sites (incl us) don't include collective deals (short-lived negotiated tariffs). Though if you factor in the MSE cashback it's beatable for most. 3) To get the lowest price, pay by monthly direct debit. Just ensure you give regular meter readings. 4) If you're in credit when you switch, the provider should give money back to you. Ask if it doesn't. 5) Cut usage to max your savings - see our Free Insulation, Green Deal and Energy Mythbusting guides.

There's fierce argument even at MSE Towers over what a 'staycation' is. Martin reckons it's staying at home with the occasional day out - most of the team say it's a UK holiday. We asked Facebook users to decide and 17,000+ of you got involved - roughly a third said it's a UK holiday, the rest were with Martin. Either way, here are 10 tips to keep all happy...

1. 2for1 attraction vouchers. 50+ attractions eg, Ldn Zoo, Legoland, Thorpe Park. Theme parks 2. Rent a posh house if there's a crowd. We found a holiday home with heated pool, hot tub and mountain views for less than £22/night each (for 8 going together). See Cheap Rentals. 3. Free £5 arts & craft kit. A free kit for 3-8yr-olds with our code, for Toucan Box newbies. 4. Cheap city breaks in uni halls. Many open their doors to all, eg, Ldn b&b £47/nt uni stays.5. Grab a gold bar... At the Bank of England Museum (you have to give it back). A day out in its own right, but there are 180+ free museums across the UK. Free museums/galleries near you6. Stay in a castle for £20/nt. Don't think all hostels are dirty, smelly rooms. Some are in surprising places. Hostels7. Mega train deals. Incl Southeastern £1 kids & 25% off, Megabus £2.50 Ldn-York rtn train/bus combo. Cheap trains8. Uncover secret hotels. Bag 5* hotels at 3* prices with our Secret Hotel tricks. Caroline tweeted: "Booked the Hilton London Paddington for £69. On Hilton's site it was £205."9. Free £15 summer car check incl screenwash. Get your battery, bulbs and blades checked at Halfords & get Cheap Petrol.10. £25 off Butlin's code. Blagged discount off Butlin's 3-nt family stay. More deals incl 20% off Travelodge in Hotel Deals.

Cheap travel money

This week's poll: Should the BBC be downscaled?

The Government has launched a consultation on the future of the BBC ahead of its 2016 Royal Charter renewal. Its main focus is, controversially, on downscaling the BBC. So we wanted to test attitudes on this, with some deliberately stark options.

How it works today: You need a TV licence to watch any TV channel (not just BBC), unless you only watch catch-up (see our Do I need a TV licence? guide) - but the TV licence primarily funds BBC TV, national & local radio and BBC online. Overseas services can be funded by commercial profits.

Should the BBC be downscaled? Please choose the option NEAREST to your opinion. Options include:

Question of the week

Q: When should you book airport parking to get the best price? I'm flying from Gatwick this summer and it's currently £111 for a week. Emma, via Twitter.

MSE Sally’s A: The earlier the better, or even if you have left it late, at least book before you get to the airport. Wait till you're there and parking companies know you've no choice and that's when they sting you.

As well as booking early, always compare prices and bag extra discounts using specialist comparison sites - full info in Airport Parking. Using our full cost-cutting system, a week's parking at Gatwick in early September is around £60 if you book now compared to about £125 booking on the day.

That's it for this week, but before we go, check out this IKEA advert, as it completely rip off Apple's style in launching its 2015 catalogue with 'book' technology, including eternal battery life. It gave us all a good laugh at MSE Towers.

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Founded in February 2003, it's now the UK's biggest consumer help website with more than 10 million people getting this email and about 13 million using the site every month. In September 2012 it became part of the MoneySupermarket Group PLC. Its focus is simple: saving cash and fighting for financial justice on anything and everything. The site has over 80 full time staff, more than a third of whom are editorial – researching, analysing and writing to continually find ways to save money. More info: See About MSE

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